It does what it says it will. That is, it gives you patterns for crocheting together fancy braids, not making fancy braids with crochet. These braids are the ones you would use for making Honiton lace, and crocheting rather than embroidering them together is much faster work for trimming your towels, petticoats, baby sacks, or corset covers.

The problem is, it's very difficult and expensive to get the braids (then common) that this is based on, so many of us are never going to be able to use this. Certainly I haven't been able to put it to use.

So while this won't be of use to most of us, if you can get the braids it's a sight better than the trad lace to use this.